Roll-preventing hockey puck



Patented Dee. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLL-PREVENTING HOCKEY PUCK Application February 17, 1940, Serial No. 319,377

1 Claim.

My present invention is a novel and improved hockey puck, formed with the edge or rim portion of a distinctive and predetermined contour I so as to eliminate any sharp corners between the 5 top and bottom surfaces of the disc and edge portion.

Heretofore, the type of standard and oillcial hockey puck or disc was made of rubber of desired diameter, thickness, weight, and resiliency l in. the form of a round disc, with the top and bottom surfaces parallel and with the edge portion perpendicular thereto and flat throughout the circumference of the same, producing sharp corners at both the top and bottom dise surfaces. l Objections and difficulties experienced with such prior type of hockey pucks have been that the relatively sharp corners between the top and bottom surfaces and the circumferential edge constituted a serious danger to the players, cut- 20 ting faces, wrists, legs, and also the clothing of the players. Also, such a prior type of puck during play is very apt to be thrown, struck, or bounced upon its edge and rolls on its edge. This is a highly objectionable feature, as a rolling 25 puck cannot be readily controlled by a player, cannot be passed, nor shot at the net, as the puck must lie flat on either of its disc-like surfaces to permit stick-handling, passing, and shooting. 8U My present invention is directed to obviate the difficulties above .briefly outlined, to a large degree, and to improve and perfect the structure of a hockey puck by eliminating sharp corners or edges and, hence, preventing injuries to the 35 players when hit by the same, or damage to their clothing, as well also as to largely eliminate the tendency of the puck to roll on its edge when it is in such position, and to cause the puck when rolling to tend automatically to fall quickly on 0 either disc surface.

My improved structure thus eliminates the difculties and dangers incident to a puck rolling for any substantial length or distance on its edge, while still providing an edge structure suitable 45 for handling and contacting with the stick of a player necessary in dribbling passing, or shooting.

I carry out my present invention by providing the edge portion of a hockey puck with a pre- 50 determined corner bevel either as a straight bevelled surface or in an arc. Or I may even form the entire edge as an oval or with slightly convex surface, or with a combination of flat and arc, oval and arc, or at or oval and straight 5I bevel corner structure.

(ci. zia-12s.)

While it is desirable to have a flat surface ou the edge of the hockey puck or disc to permit the stick of a player to handle the same, yet a relatively iiat arc might be feasible, particularly if formed with an anti-slipping surface or other 5 friction-creating or clinging device, such as shown in the copending application of Henry G. Tyer, Ser. No. 319,419, filed February 17, 1940, although ordinarily a distinctly rounded puck structure would not be suitable for use, as tending to distort a players shots or throws.

Referring to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of my present invention,

Fig. 1 indicates a full-sized hockey puck of standard diameter and with one form of my pre- 15 determined bevel thereon;

Fig. 2 illustrates an edge view of the puck shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates an edge view showing a modiflcation with an arc-shaped corner and flat surface;

Fig. 4 illustrates a convex edge contour;

Fig. 5 illustrates a still further modification with a plurality of differing arcs constituting the edge portion;

Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views. illustrating the action of the various modifications of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 respectively, showing the tendency of these various modified structures of my improved hockey puck to eliminate edge-roll and tending to fall fiat on the disc face.

Referring to the drawing, a hockey puck l of standard weight, diameter, and resiliency is shown as formed with a predetermined edge bevel l 2-2 at each corner adjacent the disc surface 4 and 5 of the hockey puck l. These disc surfaces 4 and 5 are flat throughout the extent of the puck I but the edge structures are of varying form. Thus, in Fig. 2, the edge structure constitutes the bevelled corner surfaces 2-2 and an intermediate flat surface 3, as clearly shown in the drawing.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the edge surface is made up of rounded arc sections 66, utilizing 5 a point approximately as indicated at 'l--l as the center of the radius forming these edge arcs 6-6 and with the intermediate section I0 at.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a still further modication, wherein the edge portion I2 is in the 50 `form of a continuous arc formed with a. radius having its center approximately at I4, as shown.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a still further modiiication wherein the edge is a compound arc, having the edge aros 6--6 in substantially the form 55 shown at Fig. 3,- and with the center portion I5 on a relatively larger arc similar to that indicated at I2 in Fig. 4. Thus, a compound arc edge surface, either convex, oval, or with a combination like the bevels 2 of Figs. 1 and 2 with an arcformed edge or combination of same, as shown for illustrative purposes, all constitute various embodiments of my present invention;

As illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9,1 have indicated in diagrammatic form the tendency of the various edge structures when rolling on a fiat surface 20 -to tend to eliminate the edge-rolling propensity of the disc and to facilitate the falling of the same in fiat position either on the disc surface I or 5.

Thus, it will be appreciated that my present invention, while maintaining the advantages of size, diameter, weight, and resiliency desired in a standard and officialy hockey puck, yet eliminates the probable cause of injury by providing rounded, bevelled, or arc-shaped corners, and preventing damage and danger to both player and clothing from the sharp-cornered structure. Also, the

provision of a predetermined portion or area adjacent the corners of the edge of the puck produces effective means to diminish rolling on the edge. Thus, my invention includes the safety factor of a non-cutting corner and a construction; producing to a considerable extent a nonrolling edge structure.

I claim:

A solid circular hockey puck of predetermined weight. diameter, and thickness, formed of resilient material throughout, having top and bottom surfaces each formed in a horizontal plane as a continuous flat disc, the circumferential rim surface coextensive with the thickness of the puck and being of substantially uniform diameterthroughout the greater area of said circumferential surface, but of lesser diameter where said circumferential surface joins with the top and bottom flat surfaces, whereby said circumferential surface constitutes a hockey stick-engaging portion, and roll-preventing portions adjacent the'top and bottom surfaces.

ARTHUR H. ROSS. 

